Various medical devices, or portions thereof, are shaped as generally tubular members, such as, for example, catheters, thermometers, i.v. tubing and various types of electrical wires. Many times there is a need to secure the device to or near the patient's body so that the device can appropriately function. In particular, catheters are medical appliances often used in surgical procedures for transporting various types of fluids to and from the body of the patient. These devices are generally long, tubular conduits made from flexible materials and extend from the patient to a nearby, stationary receptacle or source of fluid. Therefore, it is often necessary to secure the medical appliance tube near its insertion point on the patient's body to insure proper placement and functioning of the catheter, as well as to offer some degree of comfort and mobility for the patient. In addition, some medical procedures require the application of a tensile force, known as traction, to the catheter, thus making it particularly necessary to firmly secure the catheter tube in its longitudinal direction.
To provide the necessary restraint, practitioners initially used strips of conventional, medical-grade adhesive tape to secure the catheter tube directly to the patient's skin. This method proved unsuccessful, however, because the tape would tend to become loose, and because each time the catheter was adjusted or temporarily removed it was necessary to also remove the adhesive tape from the patient's skin, thus causing significant irritation and discomfort.
Various types of catheter securing devices were subsequently developed to provide the desired restraint and overcome the disadvantages associated with the use of strips of adhesive tape. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,096,863; 4,571,245; and 4,617,017 each disclose catheter securing devices comprising a strap which encircles the limb of the patient. The disadvantage of such devices lies in the fact that in order to adequately restrain the catheter tube, the strap must be kept fairly tight, which can cause discomfort and restrict blood flow to the patient's limb. Furthermore, since the strap can only be applied to a limb, the practitioner is limited as to the number and type of locations to which the catheter tube may be secured.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,165,748 and 4,976,700 disclose a second type of catheter securing device comprising a segment of material having one side coated with adhesive which is designed to be applied directly to the patient's skin. A central tab extends from the segment of material and has fastening means for securing the catheter tube. A disadvantage associated with these devices is the fact that they function properly only for particular catheter tube sizes. Hospitals are therefore required to stock different sizes of securing devices in order to accommodate different catheter tube diameters. In addition, these devices suffer from an inability to adequately restrain the catheter tube in its longitudinal direction.
A need therefore exists for an inexpensive medical appliance securing device which may be positioned anywhere on a patient's skin or other support and which will reliably secure various diameters of catheter tubes or other generally tubular members in both the longitudinal and lateral directions.